Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the abovementioned address

I.4)Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

I.5)Main activity

Education

Section II: Object

II.1)Scope of the procurement

II.1.1)Title:

National Professional Qualification Quality Assurance Agent.

Reference number: 30288

II.1.2)Main CPV code

80000000

II.1.3)Type of contract

Services

II.1.4)Short description:

The department is undertaking a procurement exercise to appoint a quality assurance agent for the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).

NPQs are a suite of professional development programmes designed to ensure participants have the knowledge and skills they need to become effective school leaders. The department has recently reformed the NPQs and these will be delivered from Academic Year 17/18, by 41 organisations that have been accredited by the DFE. The department is seeking to contract with an organisation or consortium that will assess and improve the quality of NPQ provision through a range of quality assurance activities.

The contract is for 3 years inclusive of set up, mobilisation and exit, with an option to extend for 2 further years if required. It is anticipated that a contract will be awarded in 3.2018 and the provider should be able to mobilise themselves quickly in order to commence service delivery on 7.5.2018.

II.1.5)Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: 6 000 000.00 GBP

II.1.6)Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: no

II.2)Description

II.2.1)Title:

II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)

79000000

79132000

79313000

79410000

79419000

II.2.3)Place of performance

NUTS code: UKC

NUTS code: UKD

NUTS code: UKE

NUTS code: UKF

NUTS code: UKG

NUTS code: UKH

NUTS code: UKI

NUTS code: UKJ

NUTS code: UKK

II.2.4)Description of the procurement:

NPQs are a suite of professional development programmes designed to ensure participants have the knowledge and skills they need to become effective school leaders. The department has recently reformed the NPQs, better to prepare new leaders for the wider range of leadership roles available in the education system. The reformed NPQs will be introduced in Academic Year 17/18 and delivered by the 41 organisations that have been accredited by the DFE.

We want the reformed NPQs to be grounded in the best available evidence and recognised as the gold standard for teachers’ professional development. We are therefore seeking to partner with an organisation with the authority and expertise to establish and maintain this gold standard. The selected organisation (the “QA Agent”) will be responsible for quality assuring and improving NPQ provision throughout England through a range of activities. These include regularly gathering evidence on providers’ performance, carrying out in-depth inspections of providers and moderating participants’ assessment projects, in order to assess and improve providers’ performance.

The requirement is for a single national provider (or consortium) to provide quality assurance to National Professional Qualifications throughout England (for avoidance of doubt this excludes the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands). This will entail delivery of the following services:

— regular monitoring and improvement of NPQ providers’ performance,

— undertaking detailed performance reviews of providers,

— moderating a sample of participants’ assessment projects,

— continuous improvement of NPQ provision,

— partnership working with NPQ providers, participants and DfE,

— regular reporting of management information and analysis on the quality of NPQ provision,

— maintaining good governance arrangements.

The contract is for 3 years inclusive of set up, mobilisation and exit, with an option to extend for 2 further years if required. It is anticipated that a contract will be awarded in 3.2018 and the provider should be able to mobilise themselves quickly in order to commence service delivery on 7.5.2018.

II.2.5)Award criteria

Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents

II.2.6)Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: 6 000 000.00 GBP

II.2.7)Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Start: 07/05/2018

End: 06/05/2021

This contract is subject to renewal: yes

Description of renewals:

3 years, with the option to extend for a period, or periods, up to a further 2 years.

II.2.10)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2.11)Information about options

Options: yes

Description of options:

Option to extend for a period, or periods, up to a further 2 years at a maximum costs of GBP 2 000 000 per year.

II.2.12)Information about electronic catalogues

II.2.13)Information about European Union funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

II.2.14)Additional information

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)Conditions for participation

III.1.1)Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

III.1.2)Economic and financial standing

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

III.1.3)Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

III.1.5)Information about reserved contracts

III.2)Conditions related to the contract

III.2.1)Information about a particular profession

III.2.2)Contract performance conditions:

III.2.3)Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Description

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Open procedure

IV.1.3)Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system

IV.1.4)Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue

IV.1.6)Information about electronic auction

IV.1.8)Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes